God doesn't wait for people to get older to use them; we shouldn't wait to be older to be used.

Here's some fun Bible trivia.

• The Bible tells us that David was "only a boy" when he defeated Goliath (who was over nine feet tall!). Most Bible scholars think David was somewhere between 14–20 at the time of this event.
• Because of her status as an unmarried woman, we know Mary was very young when she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Bible scholars think she was around 12 or 13 when the angel Gabriel visited her with the news of Jesus' coming birth.
• Josiah was made the king of Judah at age 8. By his early 20s, he started removing all traces of pagan idolatry from Judah and Jerusalem.

Notice any trends? These superheroes of our faith were all doing great things for God at a very young age. This is a trend we see often throughout the Bible, and it's a trend that can show us a lot about God. 

The world around us teaches that youth isn't the time to accomplish big things. We're supposed to follow a specific track—go to school, go to more school, earn a degree, spend a few years at an entry-level job, work your way up the ladder and then ... do something important with your life. Even our churches tend to teach that big-vision ministry should be reserved for the more "seasoned" members of the congregation. But God doesn't seem interested in sticking to this timeline. He uses the willing to accomplish His work at all ages. If we take our cues from His Word, it seems that youth is the perfect time to do something great for His glory. 

First Timothy 4:12 says this, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

Paul wrote this passage to Timothy. Timothy knew a thing or two about being young. He was given big responsibilities at a very young age, including missionary work, helping to establish the early church, and pastoring the church at Ephesus. He didn't wait until he was "older" to do big things for Jesus, and the results were fantastic. 

What's my point? Now is the time to set an example for others by the way that you live. Now is the time to be completely sold out for Jesus. Now is the time to get serious about ministering to others.

Don't wait until the world gives you permission to do something important. Walk in the footsteps of David, Mary, Josiah, and Timothy, and start ministering right now. 

How can you start ministering to others regardless of your age? Think big!